Introduction to Exception Handling: Using try-except Structure to Make Your Program More Robust
Python exceptions are unexpected errors during program execution (e.g., division by zero, input errors), which can cause crashes if unhandled. The `try-except` structure enables graceful exception handling and enhances program robustness. The `try` block wraps code that may fail (e.g., input processing, file reading), while `except` blocks handle specific exception types (e.g., `ValueError`, `ZeroDivisionError`). Multiple `except` clauses should be ordered by exception specificity to prevent broader exceptions from intercepting more specific ones. In practice, for division calculations, the `try` block attempts integer input and quotient calculation, with `except` catching non-integer inputs or division by zero and providing clear prompts. The `else` block executes success logic when no exceptions occur in `try`, and the `finally` block always runs (e.g., closing files to prevent resource leaks). Best practices include using specific exception types, providing clear error messages, combining `else`/`finally` appropriately, and avoiding over-catching (e.g., empty `except` clauses or directly catching `Exception`).
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